Switch and signal control system for railroads



H. S. WYNN 2,265,259 SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAIL-ROADS Filed Nov. 5, 1938 17 Sheets-Sheet l" n EY J 13 32H EMU E8 v o2H H 1 l 1 as I 2 Ez m 3V7 n: (|l|.l @P

QQ o 2w 0 -h H. s. WYN B l 2,265,259

SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed Nov. 5, 1938; '17 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 fiat m2 ET. 8 H5 QKNHKNU H. s. WYNN 2,265,259 swmm AND. SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed Ndv. 5, 1938 17 sheet -sheet 3' ATTORNEY Dar . i M Q 2 2 fim 2 Bee. 9, 1941.

H. s. WYNN 2,265,259

SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed Nov. 5, 1938 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 E-VY $9 2w wi on E a E w LT EN n2 1 new fin IDs-" Qd-L 17 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR BY @ZZW ATToRN Y 1941- H. s. W'YNN I SWITCH AND SIGNAL CdNTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed Nov. 5. 1938 1 H. s. WYNN SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed Nov. 5, 1'95a 17 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR J44 5 mAdE H. S. WYNN SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed Ndv. 5, 1938 17 Sheets-Sheet '7 (Ohm INVENTOR V g; ATTR NEY Tv@ 3d AIVWWV wsu g H. s. WYNN 2,265,259

SWITCH; AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Dec. 9, 1941.

Filed Nov. 5, 1938 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 H. s. WYNN 2,265,259

SWITCK AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Dec. 9,1941.

Filed Nov. 5, 1938 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR H. s. WYNN 2,265,259 SWITCH YAI JD SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Dec. 9, 1941.

17 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed Nov. 5, 1938.

Dec. 9, 1941. 'H. s. WYNN SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed Nov. 5, 1938 17 Sheets-Sheet 11 H. S. WYNN Dec. 9, 1941.

SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS l7 Sheets-Sheet l2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Filed Nov. 5, 1938 H. S. WYNN SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Fil'ed Nov. 5, less 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 INVENTOR I 42 ATTORNEY H. S. WYNN SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed Nov. 5, 1938 17 Sheets-Sheet 14 Dec, 9, 1941. H. s. WYNN 2,265,259

SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed Nov. 5, 1938 17 Sheet-Sheet 15 1 U L R5 Z Fq K) INVENTOR H. S. WYNN SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed NOV. 5, 1938 17 Sheets-Sheet 16 Dec. 9, 1941. 2,265,259 swmcn Ami SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS I H. S. WYNN l7 Sheets-Sheet 17 Filed Nov. 5. 1938 Patented Dec. 9, 1941 SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Harold S. Wynn, Rochester, N. Y., assignorto' General Railway Signal Company, Rochester,

Application November 5, 1938, Serial No. 239,140

33 Claims Thisinvention relates to interlocking systems for" railroads, and" itmore particularly pertains to an interlocking system of the. entrance-exit type which is characterized by the manner in which: rout'es aresetup through complex track layouts by merely the designation of the entrance and exit ends of such routes by an operator in a control ofii'ce;

Insuch a system, a control panel having a miniature track diagram of'the actual track layout is provided with control buttons at points on the diagram corresponding to the ends of the variousroutes through the track layout. The operation of the control buttons for the opposite ends of any route causes theoperation of all the track switches required to set up that route and effects the clearing of a signal at the entrance end to such route. The track diagram control panelis also usually provided with various indicator lamps'l'ocat'ed at suitable positions-for indicating the routes established, the occupancy of the various track sections, and the clear or stop conditions of the various signals;

For the purpose of describing the present invention, the track layout of a complete interlocking plant is considered to be divided into inter locked' groups, each comprising one or more track switches of the track layout for providing routes between signal locations for governing traffic over those track switches, those signal locations constituting entrance and exit points to such routes.- A plurality of such interlocked groups, located end-to-end, provide through routes having intermediate signal locations 1 which are the signal locations at the endsof the routes of the several interlocked groups. The setting up of a through route including intermediate signals by the designation of the extreme ends of the through route only is conveniently cal-led end-to-end or through route control.

@ne object of this invention is to provide an improved entrance-exitsysten for the setting up of" routes in the individual interlocked groups in a manner which provides that a plurality of such interlocked groups may be interconnected for end-to-ond'or through route control.

The system can be said to have two difierent types of circuit selecting networks individual to the several interlocked groups. One of those types, conveniently called initiating networks, provides control circuits for entrance and exit relays associated with entrance and exit points for routes- Theother type, conveniently called normal and reverse switch control relays used in controlling the track switches.

When setting up a route Within an interlocked group, the depression of a button for an entrance I point causes the picking up of an entrance relay for that point, which entrance relay in picking up causes energy to be fed through an initiating network toward an exit relay for the exit point for each of the available routes within that interlocked group emanating from that entrance interlocked groups from that designated entrance entr-ance point.

point. This energy i's-fed over the through route network towards the next intermediate signal which is included in an available through route emanating from the designated entrance point at which intermediate signal an entrance repeater relay is energized. The picking up of the entrance repeater relay for any given intermediate signal location causes energy to be fed to the initiating network for the next interlocked group the same as if an entrance relay for that entrance point had been picked up. The entrance repeater relay for any given entrance point also feeds energy to the through route network for it'si'nterlocked group when such entrance repeater relay is rendered active from some preceding Energy can be fed' over the through route network for any interlocked group only so far assuch through route circuit network is closed to signify that the portion of the through route up to that point is available for use.

The completion networks are provided for energizing normal and reverse switch control relays, one network being provided for each direction of trafiic for each interlocked group. Two switch control relays are provided in the completion up of the switch control relays for each route initiated by the designation of entrance and exit points is effected in a cascade order, starting with the switch control relay for the track switch nearest the exit point.

completion networks; provides-control circuits for 55f 1 The completion circuit networks for energiz exit points over that track switch in a normal position, and that either a normal or a reverse switch control relay is energized for each track switch that would be trailed depending upon the position in which it would be trailed if a train were to pass over that track switch from the designated exit point, when a route being set up is selected up to that track switch from the exit point designated.

Whenever a normal and a reverse switch control relay for a track switch facing the exit point are both energized at the same time in setting up a route, under conditions above pointed out, only one of those relays can be picked up because of a circuit interlock between them. To provide that the normal switch control relay is given preference over the reverse switch control relay, under such conditions, the reverse switch control relay for each track switch is made slow in picking up with respect to the pick up period of the normal switch control relay for that track switch.

It will be noted that theusual terminology used with regard to a train passing over a switch, is to speak of such train movement as a facing or a trailing point movement. However, it is more convenient in the present specification to speak of the switch points as facing a given exit point or a given entrance point than it is to speak of train movements. In other words, when a switch is spoke of as facing a given exit point, it means that it is so positioned that if a train were to move from the exit point over such switch it would of necessity make a facing point movement.

Thus, the completion circuit network, by giving the normal switch control relays time preference over the reverse switch control relays, provides a mean for selecting one of a plurality of optional routes as being preferred. The route given preference is always the available route diverging nearest the designated entrance point because the completion network provides that, in the cascade energization of the switch control relays, the route is selected in such a manner that, it follows the main track from the exit point designated as far as a route i available between the designated entrance and exit points on that track. This characteristic selection; of one of a plurality of optional routes in a single interlocked group is similarly applied to optional through routes which extend through a plurality of interlocked groups.

There are conditions encountered in practice, however, where it is desirable to provide that a particular route is always given preference over other optional routes, irrespective of whether or not that route diverges nearest the designated entrance point. Such a condition encountered in practice can be, for example, when a particular high speed track switch common to a plurality of routes is desired to be used, when available, in preference to lower speed track switches providing optional routes. When such preference is to be given a particular track switch, the reverse switch control relay associated therewith is energized only when a route is available over the track switch reverse, and the normal switch control relay for that track switch is made slow acting with respect to the reverse switch control relay. Thus, whenever a route is available over that track switch in either a normal or a reverse position, the normal and reverse relays are both energized but the reverse switch control relay is given preference.

In setting up a through route by end-to-end control the actuation of a control button for the entrance point to that route effects the picking up of an entrance relay, and the picking up of that relay causes the picking up of an entrance repeater relay for each intermediate entrance -point included in each available through route emanating from that designated entrance point. The actuation of a control button for the exit point to that route starts the cascade of the completion network upon the picking up of the exit relay for that point. When the switch control relays are positioned for the interlocked group including the designated exit point, the entrance relay for that portion of the through route is picked up, which in turn causes the dropping away of the entrance repeater relay for that entrance point. The entrance repeater relay is made slow in dropping away, however, to provide a momentary energization of a circuit for the picking up of the exit relay for the adjoining exit point included in the through route being set up, the same as if the control button for that exit point had been actuated. Thus, routes are set up successively in the interlocked groups included in the through route, starting with the interlocked group including the designated exit point. When the through route is entirely set up, the entrance repeater relays are all dropped away as they are used only during the setting up of a route by end-to-end control.

When setting up a route by end-to-end control, it i possible to energize entrance repeater, or through route relays, for a plurality of intermediate signals within an interlocked group, if optional routes are available extending through a plurality of interlocked groups between the designated entrance and exit points. Under such conditions one of those intermediate entrance points for the route being set up, by the switch control relays in the completion network in accordance with the time preference means effective for giving preference to the route diverging nearest the designated entrance point as men tioned above.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for limiting the end-to-end control to such an extent that, in setting up a route for an approaching train by end-to-end control, a signal cannot be cleared for a preceding train occupying a part of that proposed route. Such mode of operation is provided by the initiating network for the control of the entrance repeater relays in which energy can be fed through the network for the control of an entrance repeater relay for an intermediate signal only if a route is available between the designated entrance point and that intermediate entrance point, and only if no portion of that route is set up or i locked by the presence of a train in that section.

Other objects, purposes and characteristic features of the present invention will be in part obvious from the accompanying drawings and in part pointed out asthe description of the inven-= tionprogresses:

In describing the invention in detail, refer ence will be made to the accompanying: drawings, inwhich like: reference characters designate corresponding parts. throughout the several il lustrations, similar letter reference characters being used to. designate parts having similar functions which are generally made distinctive by preceding numerals, and in which:

Figs; 1A,1B; 1C and 1D, whenplaced end-toend with Figs. lEan'd 1F placed below Figs-1B and respectively; illustrate aself-selecting. network system for governing the track layout illustrated in Fig. 3.-

Fig. 2 illustrates various switch and signal con-- trol circuitsfo'r the track switches of a particular crossover as typical of the circuits provided for each crossover and single track switch included in the track layout for which the system is=provided;

Figs. 3A and'3B, when placed end-to-end, i1 lustratethe track layout for which the present embodiment of the invention is provided, together with the control circuits for the signals associated with that track layout;

Figs. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D, when placed end-toend, illustrate a modification of the self-selecting network illustrated in Figs. 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D;

Figs. 5A and 53, when placed end-to-end, and beneath Figs; 1B and 1C respectively, or beneath Figs. 43 and 4C respectively, illustrate a modification of the completion network shown in Figs. lE'and'. lF toprovide that preference is given to a particular o'ne'of several optional routes between entrance and exit points; and

Figs. 6A and 6B, when placed end-to-e'nd; il-

. lustrate a means by which the present invention can be applied to governing a track layout in which end-to-end control is not required.

In order to simplify this disclosure as much as possible, reference is made from time to time to functions common to all parts of a similar kind or class by'use of the-letter reference characters without preceding numerals. Such a refer'ence isto be understood to apply to any parts designated in the drawings" by reference characters thatare similar except for preceding numerals associated therewith.

The various parts and circuits constituting the embodiment of the present invention have been shown diagrammatically and certain conventional' illustrations have been employed for the purpose of simplifying the illustrations and facilitating in the explanation thereof. The drawings have been made more for the purpose of facilitating the disclosure of the present invention as to the principles and mode of operation, thanfor the purpose of illustrating the'specific construction and arrangement of parts that would be employed in practice. Thus, the various relays and their contacts are illustrated in a conventional manner, certain circuit details well known to those familiar with the art are illustrated by dotted lines, an'd'symbols are used to indicate connections to the terminals of batteries, or other sources of electric current instead of showing all of the wiring connections to those terminals.

The symbols and are employed to indicate the positive and negative terminals respectively of suitable batteries or other sources of direct current, and the circuits. withwhich those symbols are used always have current flowing in the'same di'rection. If alternating ourrentis'used instead. of direct'current the symbols shown are-to bet-considered as representativeof instantaneousrelative polarities.

Apparatus T"raclclayout.-With reference to-Figs. 3A and 3B, two parallel tracks have been illustrated as connected. at various points by crossovers havingtrackswitches' ZTSA, ZTSB, 3TSA, 3TSB, 5TSA, 5TSB, BTSA BTSB, VISA and ITSB; and one of those parallel tracks is illustrated as connected to a third track-by a track switch 4TS.

The track switches are positioned by power operated switch machines which can be of any suitable typeysuch', for example, as the switch machine: shownin-the patent to W. K. Howe, Patent No. 1,466,903, dated September 4, 1923. The motors of the switch machines are assumed to be controlled in a suitable manner, preferably providing over-loadprotection, such as is shown for example, in the patent to W. H. Hoppe, et al..

Patent No. 1,877,876, dated September 20; 1932..

- both traclc switches: of a crossover are positioned simultaneously, but-it is to be understood that a separate switch; machine can be provided for governing the operation of each of the trackswitches: associated with eachcrossover when required in practice. The switch machine 2SM- has been provided for positioning track switches 2TSA and ZIISBQ 3SM for positioning track switches 3TSAand 3TSB, 558M for positioning track switches. 5TSA and 5TSB, BSM for positioning trackswitches GTSAand BTSB, ISM for positioning track switcheslTSA and TTSB, and AS-M for positioning-track switch: ATS.

A. polar-neutral relay WP isillustratedas associated. with each. crossover and each single trackfswitch, and that relay isused for repeatingthe locked position. of the switch points. in correspondence with the locked position of the switch machine in a manner well known to those. familiar withthe art. The relay WP. is energiz'ed with one polarity. when the switch points and switch machine are locked in a normal position, and it is energized with the opposite polarity when the switch points and. switch machine forthat trackswitch are locked in the opposite position. Whenever the switch points and/or the switch machine are unlocked,. the relayjWP is deenergized For the purpose of selecting. such control for each relay WP, point detector contact mechanisms are. provided such as the type shown, for example, in the patent to C. S. Bushnell, Patent. No. 1,517,236; datedNovember 25, 1924;

Signals have been provided for governing traffic through. the. interlocking. plant in both directions,. signals Ii), L1,. 22,. i4} l5, l8 and. I9. having'been provided for governing, east bound traific to the right, and? signals 28, 2|, [6-, I1, I 2 and [3 havingbeen provided for governing west bound trafficto the left.

The signals have beeen illustrated as being of the color light type having individual color lamp units. the lower. lamp-unit providing a red indication ford'anger, and'the. upper unit pro- 

